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Talk about an eye-opening experience: Eyelash extensions are the latest beauty trend sweeping the red carpet and heading to a salon near you.
Not to be confused with the self-stick falsies of yesteryear, these semi-permanent, synthetic extensions are glued on one by one by a technician using tweezers and adhesive.
"In the last couple of years, we've gone through an intense phase of fake eyelashes, and this is the logical extension -- pardon the pun," says Didi Gluck, Marie Claire magazine's beauty director. "It dovetails a little bit with the craze for hair extensions."
During the application, which takes about 90 minutes, 25 to 35 extensions in varying lengths and thicknesses are bonded to individual hairs. The procedure averages $250 to $300 but can run as high as $500. The lashes stay put for about four to six weeks, but customers usually come back for a touch-up after two to four weeks to replace lashes that are lost in the natural growth cycle.
"They give the eyes an instant lift, with no needles or injections," says Glamour beauty writer Tram Kim Nguyen. "You can roll out of bed looking great."
Trendsetting celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Paris Hilton have fueled interest in the wide-eyed look. The procedure is taking hold in California and Florida and spreading slowly throughout the East Coast.
Soul Lee of the Shu Uemura Lash Bar in New York's Soho gave Jennifer Jason Leigh extensions for the Golden Globe Awards. "It sounds high-maintenance, but it's really for low-maintenance reasons," Lee says. "It will make your lashes look like you're always wearing mascara."
At Piaf Salon & Day Spa in Washington, D.C., appointments have increased 75% in the eight months since the spa began offering the service, and there's a short waiting list, says makeup artist Jennifer Fitzpatrick. At Le Petite Retreat day spa in Los Angeles, owner Lysa Kustek says appointments are up 50% since November. The procedure attracts people with "significant disposable income," she says.
Lori Evans of Washington, D.C., got extensions at Piaf this month. "It's so funny because I'm walking around batting my eyes at everyone at work," she says. "You can't tell at all that they're fake."
Experts recommend paying close attention to safety. Thomas Steinemann of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a Cleveland ophthalmologist, says he hasn't yet seen or heard of safety problems but advises asking whether the glue is safe for cosmetic use and keeping it out of the eyes. "You want to make sure you're not introducing something toxic or allergenic or potentially injuring the surface of the eye."
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